


Impossible Year

by RedOrchid



Series: Shadowhunters: The Ficlet Instruments [4]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, First Meetings, Friendship, M/M, New Beginnings, Wine and Snark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 06:57:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20188171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedOrchid/pseuds/RedOrchid
Summary: Magnus might have to put his old friend's house up for rent, but no one can force him to like the new tenant.





	Impossible Year

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [sh_ficletinstruments](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/sh_ficletinstruments) collection. 

> Week 4 - The Boy Next Door
> 
> Prompt: Magnus and Ragnor have been best friends since childhood. After a tragic accident claims his friend's life Magnus can't seem to let go. Often finding himself parked in front of his friend's house, his world is turned upside down then he pulls up to find moving trucks in front of the house and someone new seems to have moved in.

It’s not that Magnus can’t let go. He knows perfectly well how to live in the moment, and his well-meaning friends should just stop harassing him about it already.

“These ones seemed perfectly nice, though,” Dot argues long-sufferingly while refilling her drink. “Married couple. Only kid still at home away at boarding school, no pets, _ piles _ of money. And you couldn’t even let them see the yard before scaring them off?”

“Oh, please,” Magnus replies, taking a sip from his own glass. “Did you see his too-trendy shirt and the way her face kept twitching when she looked at it? He’s having an affair and getting them a new house as a peace offering. Living next to _ that _ inevitable implosion? No thank you.”

“And the ones yesterday? And Tuesday? And last week?”

Magnus shrugs and downs the rest of his drink. “Evil. Wanted a frat house. Vanity plates.”

Dot slowly and demonstrably sets down her glass and grabs a pillow, smashing it against her face to muffle a high-pitched screech of frustration.

“Magnus, I’m begging you. It’s been a year, we—”

“I’m simply—”

“A _ year _ ,” Dot persists. “I know you miss him. We all do. But he left us the house and we can’t just let it sit empty. I can’t afford it, and I know you can’t either. It needs to be rented out, so will you just _ please _ stop alienating anyone who shows an interest?”

Magnus sighs. They’ve had this argument before, and as fresh as the grief of losing his best friend still is, he knows she’s right. His checking account has been worryingly depleted for months now. It’s just— 

He takes a deep breath. “Fine. We’ll rent out the house. But you can’t force me to like whoever moves in.”

***

“Magnus! Perfect timing. Come in!”

Magnus accepts the glass of champagne thrust into his hand and follows. In the months since Maryse Lightwood moved in, Magnus has watched his new neighbour blossom, as well as grow into a very dear friend.

“Divorce went through?”

“Signed, sealed and delivered,” Maryse confirms. “We’re cooking out in the yard to celebrate.”

“We?” Magnus teases, fully expecting to see a certain other neighbour from down the street as he rounds the corner.

Instead, there’s a gorgeous young man over by the grill, casually flipping a hamburger into the air. Magnus blinks, then tries and fails to stop staring as the guy does it again.

He clears his throat. “Well done.”

“More like medium-rare, actually,” the guy replies, turning. And then smiles. And, _ oh_. Oh, wow. _ Hi_.

“Magnus, this is Alec, my eldest,” Maryse says, breaking him out of the spell. “I don’t believe you’ve been formally introduced?”

“Nice to meet you,” Magnus manages, a thrill running through him when Alec takes his hand. He sees his own surprise mirrored in Alec’s eyes as the touch lingers.

"Yeah," Alec breathes, a note of wonder in his voice that Magnus feels down to his toes. "Nice meeting you too."


End file.
